Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process to extract Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (Δ9-THC-A) from the plant Cannabis sativa L., to decarboxylate Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid to obtain Δ9-THC, and a process to purify Δ9-THC without the use of a reverse phase column.
Description of the Related Technology
The cannabis plant has many naturally occurring substances that are of great interest in the fields of science and medicine. Cannabinoids are a family of naturally occurring C21 terpenophenolic compounds uniquely produced in cannabis plants. There are a total of eighty-five (85) cannabinoids that have been isolated from the cannabis plant. Many researchers have confirmed the medicinal value of cannabinoids. Cannabinoids have been investigated for possible treatment of seizures, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, pain, arthritis, inflammation, and other conditions.
Isolated cannabinoids from the cannabis plant include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidivarin (CBDV), among other compounds. While THC has psychoactive effects, CBD, CBC, CBG, and CBDV do not. THCs contain two main isomeric forms, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol, depending on the position of the double bond.
The IUPAC nomenclature of THC is (−)-(6aR,10aR)-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-ol. CBD's IUPAC nomenclature is 2-((1S,6S)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclo-hex-2-enyl)-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol). CBC has the IUPAC nomenclature of 2-methyl-2-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)-7pentyl-5-chromenol. These are among the most prominent compounds in the family of compounds extracted from the cannabis plant referred to as cannabinoids.
In the cannabis plant, THC is present in carboxylic acid form. The major component of the cannabis plant is Δ9-THC-A, which exists in two isomeric forms, Δ9-THC-A-A and Δ9-THC-A-B, both of which are psychomimetically inactive. Decarboxylation of these isomeric Δ9-THC-A converts them into the psychomimetically active form, Δ9-THC. Decarboxylation is process that happens either slowly in storage, or quickly by heat application.